Experimental Evaluation of Optimized Sliding Tuned Liquid Column Dampers for Structural Vibration Control

Abstract

This study proposes a passive structural vibration control strategy employing a sliding variant of the Tuned Liquid Column Damper, termed as STLCD, and investigates both theoretical and experimental aspects. The STLCD configuration features a U-tube container filled with liquid, capable of sliding along a linear guide rail and connected to the primary structure through a spring-dashpot unit. Unlike conventional TLCDs, this setup offers flexibility for tuning short-period systems, utilizing the spring for tuning and the dashpot for additional damping. However, similar to TLCDs, the STLCD exhibits slight nonlinear behavior, necessitating the use of an equivalent linear mechanical model to streamline the analysis for optimal device design. The study delves into the selection process for STLCD optimal design parameters, assuming a Gaussian white noise ground acceleration, with the objective of minimizing the roof displacement variance of the primary system (Hitchcock et al. in Eng Struct 19:126–134, 1997). Experimental tests are carried out at the Laboratory of Experimental Dynamics at the University of Palermo, Italy, with the aim to validate the proposed mathematical formulation. Finally, in order to prove the efficacy of the proposed device the vibration control performance of a scaled model of a two-story structure equipped with an STLCD is evaluated under harmonic excitations against its uncontrolled counterpart.